Heffel Fine Art Auction House has opened a new building in Calgary, which features collections from Canadian artists such as Alex Colville. The facility is a chance for customers to view the artworks in person before they are posted in monthly online auctions. The company, started in 1978 by Kenneth Heffel and now run by his sons Robert and David, has auction houses in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. The new gallery space is one of the nicest facilities of its kind, according to Robert Heffel, who is vice-president of Heffel Auction. The Calgary location is also a state-of-the-art storage facility with a controlled climate.
For Heffel, the most important thing for the artwork is a consistent temperature and humidity level. “Big variations aren’t good, but a consistent (temperature and humidity level) is the most important,” he said. The company was one of the first to conduct fine art auctions online in 1999 and has always combined both online and physical components. Heffel says he likes to connect with his customers and form close bonds with the artists showcased in his galleries.
Vancouver artist Ross Penhall now shows his art through Heffel and likes the new gallery space. “I feel very at home here, you want to fit,” he said. “Years ago when I was approached by a gallery, I liked the other artists that were there, they weren’t necessarily exactly like me, but they were painters so I want to be in a gallery where there’s painters.” Penhall has known about Heffel’s reputation in the art world for years. “What they do for the art in Canada is just so respectful,” he said. “That’s the word I think of when I think of Heffel is respect, you know, they respect me and their employees.”
Heffel is excited about the new Calgary space and says the auction business is the best business in the world to be part of. “Because almost every day something amazing comes in and it’s like Christmas every week seeing a great treasure come in, and it’s exciting,” he said. Heffel is hosting a live auction in Toronto on May 25th that will also be accessible online.
